Page 81 of The Image of You

Kiss her wrinkled cheek and hear her call me boy.

I had only known her a short time, but she meant as much to me as Ally did. She had become my family, and her death hit me hard.

I felt Ally’s shoulders shaking again, and she held me fiercely.

Together, we mourned the loss of someone we loved.

* * *

Two days later, we were present at the reading of Elena’s will.

“Impossible!” Ronald shouted, standing abruptly when the lawyer finished. “I’ll contest!”

Elena’s lawyer, Andrew, shook his head. “You’ll lose.”

Elena had left me a million dollars and a note. When I opened the envelope, her spidery writing filled the elegant stationery.

When the time comes,

you’ll know what to do with this.

Remember your promise.

Look after my girl. I trust you, boy. I love you.

~ Elena

Always with the last word. I refolded the paper—I had no idea what she wanted, but I’d invest the money and figure it out. And I would look after Ally the rest of my life.

She left some money to Ronald. A large chunk to Ally. The rest went to a fund that would benefit the local animal shelters for a very long time.

I wasn’t sure what Ronald was objecting to the most. He didn’t need the money. I had a feeling it was the money she left Ally and me—combined—and what it essentially meant.

Her final act had been to do what she couldn’t do while she was alive.

Set Ally free.

My Nightingale was no longer beholden to Ronald. She could walk away from the condo she disliked, pay him back the money he said she owed him, and be done. She didn’t have to accept anyone’s help to do so. All her “debts” would be paid.

As I observed him, I realized that was it. He didn’t give a crap that Elena had left me something or that most of it went to helping animals.

His power over Ally was gone, and he hated it. He could no longer make her pay for a crime he felt she committed. One she was never guilty of in the first place.

I lowered my head so he didn’t see my smirk.

Silently, I sent a thank-you to the minx.

She got him in the end.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Days passed, and we remained mostly in solitude. We went for walks; I took Ally out for a few rides on the bike, and we stayed close. She was quieter than normal, rarely starting a conversation, but when I engaged her, she would respond. The first time she laughed, she stopped, her eyes widening and her hand covering her mouth. Gently, I pulled it away.

“Don’t. Elena loved to hear you laugh. She’d want you to. She wanted you to be happy.” I stroked her cheek. “She wouldn’t want us to mourn her—she’d want us to keep going and do everything we talked about.”

Ally only nodded, but it was her suggestion to go for a picnic the next day. But when we woke up, the day was dark and rainy so we improvised and had a picnic in the loft. I picked up Chinese food, making her laugh when I refused plates, instead feeding her bites from my fingers. I insisted the sticky chicken and spicy plum sauce tasted better that way. I twirled the noodles on chopsticks and fed her bites, licking the sauce from her chin and kissing her every chance I got.

After we cleaned up, I leaned back against the bed and simply looked at her—lying on the pile of pillows we’d made, with her bright hair spread around her. Her eyes were shut, one arm tucked behind her head; she looked the most peaceful I’d seen her since I got home. Unable to resist, I lifted my phone, capturing her with my lens. My collection of images of her was large. I loved catching her different moods and expressions. Her eyes said so much when she looked at me—warm and filled with love, even when I pissed her off.